Swift and Sure: The Story of a Hydroplane

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER XV--HYDROPLANE _VERSUS_ LOCOMOTIVE

  Captain Espejo thought himself to be very hardly used. He had expectedto be by this time Jefe of Guayana. That was the office promised him byGeneral Carabano in reward for his services in the "liberation" ofVenezuela. The General had not kept his promise. That was a clearbreach of faith. Nay more, so far was he from acting up to hisself-assumed title of Liberator, that he himself needed liberating. Thatwas most annoying. Really, he ought to have been more careful. Hiscapture was a malign stroke of Fate, but since Fate was inaccessible,Captain Espejo vented his annoyance and disappointment on hissubordinates, which did not improve matters.

  Success is the best credential of a revolutionist, and the General'swant of success bid fair to ruin his cause. There was no moralenthusiasm to buoy up the spirits of his men. Quite the contrary,indeed: the triumph of General Carabano would be the triumph ofcorruption. The bonds linking them to him were of the slightest, andwhen with his disappearance their prospects of sharing the spoils ofvictory vanished into thin air, they began to ask themselves whether itwas not time to disband. Perhaps in a few years another Liberator mightarise who would not so easily be snuffed out. That was how theVenezuelans looked at the situation. The Indians of the force hadalready made up their minds that General Carabano was a bladder, andbetaken themselves to their own place.

  Captain Espejo was worried as well as annoyed. Food was running short;the exchequer was empty; the men had not received the pay promised them;and the Captain was not at all happy at the prospect of having to dealwith a mutiny. He had declared, to be sure, with great vehemence, thatthe audacious kidnappers of the Liberator had not gone down-stream; hehad no doubt that the detestable machine which had proved such atroublesome instrument in the hand of Fate had broken down, and theEnglishman was hiding somewhere in the neighbourhood. But machines couldbe repaired, and when the repairs were made the Englishman wouldprobably make another attempt to carry off his captive. If he could beintercepted all might yet be well. Captain Espejo used this argument tosome effect with his men, and they had agreed to wait a week, and tokeep a careful watch on the river meanwhile. The locomotive was keptconstantly under steam, so that, immediately the discovery of thefugitives was signalled, the train might start for the junction. Itcould surely outstrip an overladen hydroplane, and then the Englishmanmight think himself lucky if he escaped a bullet through the head. Itwould give the Captain great pleasure to accompany the Liberator-Generalto his hacienda of Las Piedras, and witness the shooting of thatimpertinent engineer who had dared to flout him.

  The Captain was ruminating thus when there fell upon his ear the reportof two rifles, fired in quick succession. Springing up from the chairwhich the General had lately filled, he ran into the camp, summoned ahundred men from their _dolce far niente_, and with much excitementordered them to board the three wagons coupled to the engine.

  "They are discovered!" he cried. "We have them!"

  He climbed into the cab beside the engine-driver.

  "A thousand pesos," he shouted, "if you reach the junction before theEnglishman!"

  The driver opened the throttle, the wheels spun round, and when theyheld the rails the train started with a great rumbling and clankingtowards the junction.

  ----

  The hydroplane had floated only a few yards down the stream when therewas a shout from the bank opposite. Looking round, Will saw, at theembouchure of the creek, a man wearing General Carabano's green featherin his sombrero. He held a rifle. The enemy had clearly taken theprecaution to post a look-out, so that while their boat was searchingthe creek, the hydroplane should not pass undiscovered.

  One glance, then Will started the engine, and the hydroplane shotforward.

  "Not too fast," said Ruggles anxiously.

  "All right. Ten miles an hour till we see how she goes. Keep your eyesopen, Azito."

  The Indian grunted. He stood as far forward as was convenient, holdinghis pole, and fixing his eyes on the course. He meant to earn thelittle yacht that lay snugly beached in the creek behind.

  The man on the bank shouted again. In less than two minutes thehydroplane was level with him. He knelt on one knee, lifted his rifle,and fired.

  "Through the wind-screen," said Will, not turning his head. "No harmdone. I'll make it fifteen."

  The hydroplane swept round the first "twist" in the stream, and passedfrom the sight of the look-out. Another shot rang out, andhalf-a-minute later two more.

  "A waste of ammunition," said Will, smiling.

  "Stop, senor!" cried Machado in terror, from his place in the bottom."We shall all be killed. His Excellency will be shot."

  "Hold your tongue," growled Ruggles, "or we'll set you and hisExcellency up as targets."

  From some spot down-stream came the crack of another rifle, and then asecond. Half-a-minute later there seemed to be an echo from a pointstill lower, and Azito declared that he heard two more shots evenfarther away.

  "They're signals," said Ruggles. "Confound 'em, why are they socareful?"

  "I daren't go any faster yet," said Will. "The stream's too narrow. Weshall get to the tributary directly, and then I'll make her go."

  A few minutes brought them to the broader stream. Then Will opened thethrottle further, increasing the speed to twenty miles an hour. Moreshots sounded faintly in several directions. Ruggles turned his headand glanced up-stream.

  "There's a canoe after us," he cried. "Indians paddling like mad, andhalf-a-dozen fellows with rifles."

  "They can't hurt us," said Will, and laughed as he heard the rattle ofan ineffective volley behind.

  "It'll be a near thing, though, if they've got other canoes waiting forus down-stream. Is she going all right?"

  "Perfectly. Twenty-five now, and planes beautifully. They won't hit usunless they've had practice with partridges, and if they get in the waythey'll come off no better than the jaguar I ran down."

  The vessel was skimming along as lightly as a bird. Ruggles gripped theside; he had no experience of this kind of navigation.

  "The canoe's out of sight," he said, looking round. "We're level withthe hacienda now. Two shots again. They've put a chain of lookouts alldown the river."

  "Thirty," replied Will, his eyes fixed on Azito, his hands firmlygripping the steering-wheel.

  "A canoe putting off from the bank, senor," cried Azito. "Four men inher."

  "Right bank?"

  "Yes, senor."

  "We'll go straight at her. Revolver ready, Ruggles?"

  "For goodness' sake be careful!" gasped Ruggles. "She may capsize us."

  "Thirty-five," said Will.

  On flew the hydroplane.

  "Are we near the canoe, Azito?" asked Will.

  "She goes back, senor: better get out of the way."

  "Very sensible. Duck, Ruggles: they may send a shot at us."

  Next moment four bullets whizzed overhead.

  "A thousand pesos if you stop!" cried the General, terrified alike bythe speed of the hydroplane and the risk of being shot by his own men.

  "Not for a million," said Will. "Are we near the narrows, Azito?"

  "Not yet, senor."

  "By Jove!" exclaimed Ruggles, "they've sent the train after us. I cansee smoke through the trees."

  "Forty," said Will.

  He had now attained the maximum speed. He had seldom ventured to keepit up for more than a quarter of an hour at a stretch, but he was grimlydetermined to beat the train. No engine had yet run over the newly-laidtrack at a greater speed than twenty-five miles an hour: surely thedriver would not risk a smash. But Captain Espejo was at the man'selbow, continually urging him to go faster. The heavy wagons rattled onbehind, the men swaying this way and that, shouting, peering through thetrees to the left to catch a glimpse of the hydroplane.

  The sun beat down fiercely. Hot though the air was, it blew cold uponthe occupants of the hydroplane as she whizz
ed along. Will and Ruggleswere bathed in perspiration. Jose was oiling the engine.

  "How are we now?" asked Will.

  "I can't see for the trees. Aren't we near the narrows?"

  He was answered by a volley from the bank. He ducked instinctively.Will did not budge; his whole mind was given to the hydroplane. Wouldthe engine stand the strain? He heard bullets slap into thewind-screen, and trembled lest one should strike the engine or find itsway into the petrol tank.

  "The train's almost level with us," said Ruggles. "Not more than ahundred yards behind."

  At this point the railway track emerged upon the river, coming to withina quarter of a mile of it. Here the bank was clear of trees.

  "How many trucks?" asked Will.

  "Three, full of men. They're levelling rifles at us."

  "Won't there be a smash when they come to the curve!"

  "We're gaining a little, but they'll make up on us when we come to thebend."

  "We must go faster. I can't leave the wheel. Ruggles, go to theexhaust valve and double the pressure."

  "Good heavens! It won't stand it."

  "It must! Hurry up, man."

  Ruggles, as an expert mechanician, knew the risk involved. By adjustingthe valve admitting pressure from the exhaust to the petrol tank itcould show double the pressure on the tank gauge. By this means theexplosive mixture would be enriched and more power gained. But therewould be an immense risk of over-heating the cylinders.

  "I don't think----" he began.

  "Quick! quick, man!" said Will.

  Hesitating no longer, Ruggles did what was required of him. Thehydroplane flew on. In half-a-minute it had gained a furlong on thetrain. Fearing that their prey was escaping them, the men on the trucksfired a volley, some resting their rifles on the sides, others evenventuring to mount, being held up on the jolting vehicles by theircomrades. More bullets struck the windscreen; Will did not notice thatAzito's right arm dropped by his side. The Indian did not utter asound.

  With every second the hydroplane increased its lead. At last it came tothe bend, which made its course longer by over a mile than the straighttrack of the railway. This was the critical part of the race. Will knewthat, if the train maintained its speed, he could not expect to reachthe farther end of the curve before his pursuers. It was impossible toincrease the pressure by an ounce. His only hope was that the trainwould not have time to pull up, so that the men could steady themselvesfor firing, before he shot past.

  As he rounded the bend into the straight again, he saw that the trainwas leading by about two hundred yards. It did not appear to beslackening speed. And here he recognized with a throb of delight thatthere was a point in his favour that had not occurred to him. Fornearly a mile the bank of the river was lined with a thin fringe oftrees. This explained the fact that the train had not pulled up. Evenif the men could alight in time, the trees must completely spoil theirchance of pouring in an effective volley. The hydroplane was skimmingalong at such an enormous speed that they could no more have taken goodaim at it through the trees than if they had been park palings. Inhalf-a-minute the hydroplane was once more forging ahead. A scatteredvolley flashed from the trucks; Will paid no heed to it; he did not evennotice that a bullet had flown up from the wind-screen and struck hischeek. All that he knew was that the hydroplane was drawing away, andthat in another mile or so the train would arrive at a dangerous curve.

  "They're putting on more steam," cried Ruggles, "and coaling like thevery dickens."

  "Shall we do it? I can't keep this up for more than another minute."

  "In another minute they'll come to the curve in the cutting," saidRuggles, "and then nothing can save them if they don't slacken."

  A few seconds later a loud grinding shriek came from the right.

  "They've clapped on the brakes," said Will. "'Twas time. Reduce thepressure, Ruggles, or the whole concern will burst up. There's no hurrynow."

  THE RACE TO THE SWIFT]

  Ruggles screwed back the valve. Will gradually closed the throttleuntil the speed was reduced to twenty miles an hour. The bridge was insight. Just as they reached it there came a crash from the line. Willreduced the speed still further, and looked round. The driver had puton his brakes too late. Rounding the curve, the engine had left therails and the wagons were overturned.

  "Not much harm done," said Ruggles. "Lucky she slowed down when shedid, or there'd have been a horrible mess."

  "Thank goodness we've got through in time," said Will, mopping hissteaming brow. "We can take it easy now, and get to Bolivar before it'sdark."

  CHAPTER XVI--THE END OF A REVOLUTION

  The hydroplane was now on the broad bosom of the Orinoco, floating downwith the tide. Will thought it time to stop for a meal.

  "We'll run into the bank, and Azito can cook us some yuca," he said.

  "A glass of beer, just one, would satisfy me," said Ruggles. "But,bless us! you've got blood on your cheek."

  "So I have!" cried Will, brushing his hand over it. "Any one elsehurt?"

  There was no answer, but looking round, he noticed that Azito's rightarm hung limp at his side. As soon as the vessel was beached, heexamined the wound.

  "You're a plucky fellow," he said. "Do you know that your arm'sbroken?"

  "It's nothing, senor," replied the Indian simply.

  "Isn't it? We'll see what the surgeon says when we get to Bolivar.Ruggles, you can do most things: can you make a bandage?"

  "I've washed and dressed a week-old baby," said Ruggles, "and there's abit of bandaging in that."

  "Well, see what you can do for Azito. Jose must bake our bread, and Ithink we might release our prisoners now, don't you?"

  "You won't let the General go, surely?" said Ruggles.

  "Not I. But we can untie him now. He must be pretty uncomfortable."

  The two prisoners were released from their bonds. They looked verywoebegone. Machado began to protest.

  "You said no harm should come to me if I did your bidding, senor," hesaid. "This is how an Englishman keeps his word!"

  "You haven't much to complain of," said Will bluntly. "Many a man wouldhave shot you for your treachery."

  "But you will not take me to Ciudad Bolivar?" said the man, beginning towhine. "They will shoot me there."

  "And you would deserve it. But since it was by your help that I securedthe person of your General, I'll see what I can do for you. Perhaps theywon't trouble about you when they have the arch-rebel in their hands."

  Then General Carabano thought it time to say a word.

  "You have no right to meddle in the affairs of Venezuela, senor," hesaid. "My cause is a good one: I have half the country at my back:and----"

  "We won't go into that, General," interrupted Will. "You ventured tomeddle with the servants of a Company protected by the laws of yourState. You have got the worst of it, and that's all there is to besaid."

  "Not all, senor," said the General, changing his tone. "You forget thatyour friends are still in captivity, and be sure that if any harm befallme, my adherents will exact retribution."

  "I doubt whether you have any adherents now," replied Will. "At anyrate you will go with us to Ciudad Bolivar."

  "If you release me, senor, I will undertake that your friends shallrejoin you in three days, and your Company shall be no furthermolested."

  "Sorry I can't oblige you, General. You can't repay my Company fortheir loss of business: you can't repair the railway line that youradherents have smashed up. The less said the better, I think."

  The General glared at him, but seeing that there was no hope of hisrelenting he held his peace.

  After a meal, Will started the hydroplane, and ran down the river at aspeed of about fifteen knots.

  "What about the Chief and Jerry O'Connor?" said Ruggles, sitting at hisside.

  "I'm rather bothered about them," replied Will, "though it wouldn't doto let the General think so. They're out of reach,
and we can't get atthem easily. But I hope they won't come to any harm. It is quite clearwe can do nothing at present. We can't go across country while Espejoand his crew are still at large. Perhaps the Government will dosomething for them in return for our capture of Carabano: that's myhope."

  Suddenly there was a loud splash. Looking round, Will saw that theGeneral had flung himself overboard. No doubt he expected to meet thefate of rebels when he came into the President's hands, and preferred toseek his own death. Will instantly stopped the engine and sprang intothe river. For a few moments the General did not reappear, and Willfeared that he had gone to the bottom; but swimming along, he caughtsight of the woolly head emerging a few yards away, and three or fourswift strokes brought them together. The General fought stubbornlyuntil Will in desperation called Ruggles to his assistance. Between themthey managed to haul their prisoner to the vessel, by which time he wasalmost unconscious. Again his hands and feet were bound, and Will setthe engine going at a higher speed.

  It was near dusk when they came in sight of the white cathedral tower ofCiudad Bolivar. Soon after they entered the narrow part of the river.There was the row of black rocks rising out of the water near the rightbank. There was the Piedra del Medio--the large rock rearing itself inthe middle of the stream. And there at last was the stone quay, notdeserted, as it had been at his last visit to the city, but now throngedwith idlers watching the progress of the strange vessel about whichtheir curiosity had long been unsatisfied.

  Will steered the hydroplane alongside the quay, and sprang out. Rugglesuntied the bonds about the General's feet, and together they lifted himon to the quay. The onlookers were at first silent in sheer amazement;then the cry arose that the rebel General had been brought a prisoner tothe city. Each taking an arm, Will and Ruggles marched the Generalalong the Calle de Coco.

  "What about Machado?" said Ruggles a few seconds after they had started.

  "We'll let him go," answered Will. "I fancy he has had a lesson. He'llkeep out of the way of the authorities, and after what has happenedhe'll beware of the rebels. Perhaps he'll try to earn an honestliving."

  Followed along the street by an ever-growing crowd, mocking and jeeringat the General, they came at length to the Town Hall. The Jefe wasbeyond measure amazed and delighted when he saw his prisoner.

  "The President shall hear of this at once, senor," he said, shaking Willwarmly by the hand. "It is you, senor, that are the Liberator ofVenezuela, and your name will be honoured in the annals of my country.You must tell me at leisure how you succeeded in capturing thisnotorious enemy of the State. I will at once issue invitations for abanquet."

  "Pardon me, Excellency; as you perceive, I am not presentable."

  The rough life of the past few days and his immersion had indeed givenhim a disreputable appearance.

  "That is a trifle, senor," said the Jefe. "My own tailor shall provideyou with garments within an hour or two. The whole city will be eagerto hear your story, and I cannot be denied."

  Will accepted his fate philosophically. The General was put into safequarters in the city jail: a telegram was immediately sent to thePresident at Caracas, telling him the news and asking for instructions:and then the Jefe himself took Will to his tailor's, and gave ordersthat he should be becomingly arrayed. He would have done the same forRuggles; but that worthy, at the first mention of a banquet, had quietlyslipped away. He told Will next day that he couldn't trust himself atsuch a festivity.

  "You see, they wouldn't have beer," he said, "and wine would bowl meover in no time. Besides, their champagne is filthy stuff."

  There is no need to relate what happened at the Jefe's hospitable table.Will was the hero of the hour, and supremely uncomfortable. It was verylate before the party broke up, and it is a regrettable fact that theJefe, when he took Will home as his guest for the night, talked a greatdeal of nonsense.

  "Ah!" said Ruggles, when Will hinted at this next day, "there's nothingkeeps a man so safe as having two pounds a week and no more."

  In the morning an order came from the President that General Carabanoshould be immediately sent to Caracas. He gave at the same time acordial invitation to Senor Pentelow to visit him. This Will promptlyand gratefully declined by telegraph. He had had a conversation withthe Jefe. It appeared that a few days before, scouts had reported thatColonel Orellana's force had broken up. No doubt news of GeneralCarabano's abduction had reached them, and they recognized that therevolution had fizzled out. Being relieved of further anxiety on thisscore, the Jefe readily acceded to Will's request that he would send asmall force by steamer up the Orinoco, in order to effect the release ofthe prisoners. General Carabano's hacienda was about a hundred milesfrom the junction, and remote from the railway. It could best bereached by ascending the tributary until it ceased to be navigable, afew miles beyond De Mello's hacienda, and then by riding across country.The journey would be too hazardous for Will and Ruggles to attempt alonewhile Captain Espejo still had any force at command; but a small partyunder Colonel Blanco could no doubt easily dispose of them, and then theway would be open.

  Accordingly a steamer left Bolivar at ten o'clock, carrying ColonelBlanco and fifty well-armed men, together with the two Englishmen andtheir native helpers. Will had not forgotten to have Azito's armproperly attended to by a surgeon, nor to buy a good supply of petrol.The hydroplane was towed. With some difficulty Will had persuaded thedoctor to accompany the expedition in order to assist the men who hadbeen injured when the train was thrown off the rails. The doctor wasdoubtful of getting his fees.

  At the junction Colonel Blanco disembarked with Will and some of hisofficers to view the scene of the smash. Engine and trucks lay, ofcourse, where they had fallen, with broken rifles and other evidences ofthe catastrophe. Steaming along the river again, they came to a haltwhere there was no longer sufficient draught for the vessel, and marchedover the few miles to the hacienda. Here they found all the roomsoccupied by a score of injured men, attended only by Indians. They hadbeen brought in a few hours before, after a terrible night in the woods.Captain Espejo was one of the most seriously injured, as was only to beexpected from his perilous position on the cab of the engine. All themen who were able to ride had decamped. Colonel Blanco was muchinterested in seeing the hole in the stable wall by which Will hadescaped, and the room where General Carabano was captured.

  Next morning Will and Ruggles set off on horseback with a dozen of theColonel's men, under Azito's guidance, for the General's hacienda. Itwas a long and fatiguing journey, through woods, across streams, now onbare rock, now in swamp whose squelching ground covered the horses'fetlocks. When they arrived at the precipice where Ruggles had escaped,nothing would satisfy him but to halt and scratch his initials on thecliff.

  "Just like a tripper," said Will, laughing.

  "Well, as your name is to be written in full in the State records, youwon't grudge me my simple initials on the rock," replied Ruggles. "AndI shouldn't wonder if they last longer."

  They had ridden but a few miles farther when Azito pointed to the right,and declared that he had seen three horsemen coming towards them.Nobody else could distinguish the figures. Colonel Blanco decided tohalt in a clump of trees until the strangers came up. Will thought theymight bring news of the prisoners, or that two of them might be theprisoners themselves; but Azito said they were coming from the wrongdirection.

  In twenty minutes the three riders came clearly into view. Then Willsaw that one of them was Antonio de Mello. The others were strangers tohim. He went out to meet them.

  "Hallo, old chap!" said De Mello. "What are you doing here?"

  "I'm going to pay a visit to General Carabano's hacienda."

  De Mello laughed.

  "What is this I hear about the Liberator?" he said. "My Indians--I havehad spies at my place all along--told me that he was abducted in themiddle of the night. Is it true?"

  "Perfectly," said Will. "Your place is just now a hospital."
r />   "What! Has there been a fight?" asked De Mello, grimacing.

  "No: a smash on the line. I suppose you are on your way there?"

  "Yes. With Carabano gone I thought I might venture back to my own, andtwo friends accompanied me to see fair play." He introduced thestrangers. "But why are you going to the General's house?"

  "To release a couple of friends of mine. Didn't your Indian tell youwhat happened to us?"

  "They told me a great deal that I didn't believe. What's the truth ofthe matter?"

  "It's a long story, and if you don't mind I'll keep it till I get back.Colonel Blanco is waiting in the wood yonder, and we want to get to LasPiedras before night."

  "Colonel Blanco! The revolution is broken, then?"

  "Smashed."

  "That's good news. I hope they haven't damaged my stables."

  "No, your stables are all right," said Will with a laugh, wondering athis friend's strange lack of patriotism. "No Englishman," he thought,"would think first of his stables." Was he right?

  Having been introduced to Colonel Blanco, De Mello rode on with hisfriends towards his hacienda. The others resumed their journey in theopposite direction.

  It was getting dark when they reached General Carabano's estate. Thehouse was lit up. Passing the window of the dining-room, and lookingin, they saw the Chief and O'Connor seated at table with half-a-dozenVenezuelans. They were talking cheerfully, and seemed to be in the bestof spirits. Hearing the jingle of bridles, the whole party started upand came to the window. The Venezuelans looked alarmed.

  "How are you, Chief?" Will called through the window.

  "It's the boy!" cried Mr. Jackson. "It's all right, O'Connor. Come in,Pentelow; you'll find the door open. Who've you got with you?"

  "Colonel Blanco, of the State army."

  He entered the house with Ruggles and the Colonel.

  "You don't look much like prisoners," said Will, laughing.

  "Prisoners? We're gentlemen at large. We've heard all about it. Amessenger came up the day after the General disappeared, and we guessedyou were at the bottom of it. These gentlemen here offered to escort usto Bolivar, but it's two hundred miles and a trying journey; and aswe're living on the fat of the land and having a better time than we'vehad for months, we decided to stay here until we got word of you."

  "But I don't understand," said Will. "Aren't these gentlemenrevolutionists?"

  "No longer, my boy. They threw over the General at once, and are nowthe loyalest citizens of the Republic. That's revolution in Venezuela."

  Colonel Blanco was chatting very amiably to the Venezuelans. It was allvery amazing to Will, whose knowledge of the revolutions of historyincluded recollections of bitter enmity, murderous passions,proscriptions, massacres.

  He told the whole story, to which his friends listened with as muchamusement as surprise. O'Connor sighed because he had not been withWill in the race with the train, but the Chief looked grave when heheard of the smash on the line.

  "We'll get no compensation," he said. "However, all's well that endswell. We shall no doubt get the line finished before the nextrevolution."

  Next day they all returned to railhead. Already the scattered peonswere flocking back, and in the course of a week work was in full swingagain.

  When De Mello heard all that had happened he was inclined to be enviousof Will. It occurred to him apparently for the first time that he hadplayed a rather sorry part in deserting his hacienda, and leaving tostrangers the task of making head against the rebels. In course oftime, perhaps, men of his class, who at present look on matters of Statewith indifference, will learn to take an interest in them, and develop apatriotism which will raise their country to its fitting rank among thenations of the world.

  A fortnight after his return to the camp, Mr. Jackson was informed byhis new telegraphist, an Englishman, that General Carabano had not beenshot, the President having commuted his sentence to permanent exile.Will received an autograph letter from the President thanking him forthe great services he had rendered to the Republic, and some weeks laterthe secretary of the Company in London cabled to the effect that theBoard of Directors had unanimously resolved to grant him an honorariumof a hundred pounds in consideration of his zeal for their interests.His hydroplane became the talk of the country, and an enterprisingYankee in Bolivar organized weekly trips by steamer to the scene of hisadventures for the benefit of curious sightseers, and incidentally forhis own.

  Of all the actors in this little drama, Azito was perhaps the bestsatisfied at its conclusion. In De Mello's yacht, purchased for him byMr. Jackson, he often sailed on the creeks and streams in theneighbourhood. His wants were simple and few, and he earned the littlethat sufficed to supply them by occasional attendance upon the senor whohad saved him from the jaws of a jaguar, and whose hydroplane was onlysecond in his estimation to his own yacht.

  THE END

  _Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London, and Bungay._